CLUSTER 22 SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION

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1 CLUSTER 22 SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION FEBRUARY 3 RD, FEBRUARY 4 TH AND MARCH 2 ND, 2014 MICHAEL SMITH PROGRAM MANAGER PARISH SOCIAL MINISTRY 307 CONGRESS STREET, PORTLAND, ME PHONE: (207) WEBSITE:

2 Leader: Lord, open our minds, hearts and souls to Your love. All: And so free us to act in that love. Leader: Spirit of Wisdom, may we bear your love for humanity by bringing good news to the poor. Help us bring food to the hungry, healing to the hurt, and presence to the lonely. All: And so free us to act in that love. Leader: Teach us to shine like the stars in our relationship with You, our neighbor, and with all of creation. Lead us in promoting peace and integrity through our everyday challenges. May You comforting embrace bring us compassion for others. All: And so free us to act in that love. Leader: We ask this through Christ our Lord. All: Amen

3 Primary Focuses: 1. Why are we, as the people of God, called to serve one another? 2. How are we to serve one another?

4 You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. Matthew 22: Vertically: Connected to God Horizontally: Connected to Each Other

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6 Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25: 31-46

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8 A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is intrinsically fragmented. - Pope Benedict XVI, Dues Caritas Est, 14 How are we treating the people of God? I dream of a church that is a mother and shepherdess. The church s ministers must be merciful, take responsibility and accompany them like the good Samaritan, who washes, cleans and raises up his neighbor. This is pure Gospel. - Pope Francis, A Big Open Heart to God, America

9 Communities of Salt and Light Today, more than ever, our parishes are called to be communities of "salt" and "light"; to help believers live their faith in their families, communities, work, and world. We need parishes that will not "lose their flavor" nor put their "light under a basket." We seek to build evangelizing communities of faith, justice, and solidarity, where all believers are challenged to bring God's love, justice, and peace to a world in desperate need of the seasoning of the gospel and the light of Catholic teaching.

10 JACK JEZREEL v=uwpxd_solrg&feature=youtu.be (Through 1:11) v=wbqaof1xl_u&feature=youtu.be (Through 6:00)

11 Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith. Its roots are in the Hebrew prophets who announced God's special love for the poor and called God's people to a covenant of love and justice. It is a teaching founded on the life and words of Jesus Christ, who came "to bring glad tidings to the poor... liberty to captives... recovery of sight to the blind"(lk 4:18-19), and who identified himself with "the least of these," the hungry and the stranger (cf. Mt 25:45). Catholic social teaching is built on a commitment to the poor. This commitment arises from our experiences of Christ in the eucharist. - USCCB

12 ü LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching.

13 ü CALL TO FAMILY,COMMUNITY, AND PARTICPATION The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society - - in economics and politics, in law and policy - - directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well- being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

14 ü RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ü The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met.

15 ü OPTION FOR THE POOR AND VULNERABLE A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring.

16 ü THE DIGNITY OF WORK AND THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in Gods creation.

17 ü SOLIDARITY We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences.

18 ü CARE FOR GOD S CREATION We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of Gods creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

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21 The Office of Public Policy is the non-partisan public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Maine. It represents the Church on varied issues including education, marriage, health care, poverty, respect for human life, social services, criminal justice and the environment before the Maine State Legislature and other civil officials by applying the principles of Catholic social teaching to critical issues of the day and encouraging citizen involvement in the legislative process. The Office supports the ministry of the Church by: a. educating Catholics and the public about the ethical and moral framework that should be applied to public policy decisions; b. mobilizing the Catholic community to make its voice heard in the public arena; c. working with political and community leaders to shape laws and policies that pursue respect for life, social justice and the common good.

22 Questions?

23 Father, your truth is made known in your Word. Guide us to seek the truth of the human person. Teach us the way to love because you are Love. Jesus, you embody Love and Truth. Help us to recognize your face in the poor. Enable us to live out our vocation to bring love and justice to your people. Holy Spirit, you inspire us to transform our world. Empower us to seek the common good for all persons. Give us a spirit of solidarity and make us one human family. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.